Chamber helping revive Main Street program

By MELINDA WILLIAMS

melinda@southwesttimes.com

Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce is working with the town of Pulaski to revive the town’s Main Street program.

Pulaski Town Council recently authorized the release of $7,000 for the chamber to complete Phase 1 of a study aimed at reviving a “Main Street/Central Business District organization” that would “assist (town) businesses … with retention, attraction, and expansion.”

According to the Chamber’s proposal, a revitalized Main Street would “encourage civic engagement and a community that thrives with a mix of uses, income levels and cultures.” It goes on to say that “The Pulaski Main (Street) Association will improve the competitiveness, selection, variety and quality of downtown Pulaski businesses.”

Phase 1 of the project calls for Pulaski Main Street Association to:

•Operate a manned office twice per week between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in space that will be provided by the town;

•Research Main Street programs in towns of similar demographics as Pulaski;

•Visit successful downtowns (for ideas and direction), and

•Develop a sustainable Main Street program that will “retain, attract and expand” downtown businesses by assessing existing needs and developing an operating plan and budget for the Main Street Program.

The first phase of the project is expected to take about seven months to complete. A report is to be provided to town council in January 2015 outlining the proposed structure of the Main Street program.

Phase 2 of the project will consist of design and Phase 3, implementation.

According to Pulaski Town Manager Shawn Utt, $25,000 is budgeted for Phase 1.